Promising a new cinematic experience for movie buffs, renowned filmmaker Sudath Mahadivulwewa launched his latest film ‘My Red Comrade’. The premiere of the film took place on May 3 but the film will begin unspooling in theatres from May 17. It is Red Circle Production’s maiden movie.
Renowned filmmaker Sudath Mahadivulwewa
Rousing curiosity through its trailer which dubs it as a project that encompasses romance, politics as well as action, ‘My Red Comrade’ is driven by the goal of making an immersive production at a minimum cost. The background of the story draws its inspiration from a political setting which existed not too long ago – the Aragalaya (the struggle). This 2022 milestone in Sri Lankan history, created by public awakening and unrest, unseated the former President and forced him to flee the country.
“This unarmed protest may be one out of a very few examples in world history of such popular awakening,” Mahadivulwewa said.
Mahadivulwewa had returned to filmmaking after a 19-year hiatus. However, though he has not made any cinematic productions during this span, the gifted film director has been involved in other areas of cinema – mainly sharing his knowledge and training several generations of young filmmakers.
“It was a very rewarding stint as the country is badly in need of an institute which gives proper training for youth who wish to embark on a career in filmmaking. I joined the Digital Cinema Academy which later became known as Colombo Film School (CFS). I also served as a teacher at universities, educating the youth on cinema,” Mahadivul wewa added with a touch of pride, satisfied about the work he had done at CFS with renowned director of photography Danushka Gunathilake.
Mahadivulwewa himself had started his filmmaking venture from scratch. He was a journalist before he embarked on a creative copywriting career that finally took him to the production side of the advertising industry. Earning the title of the youngest director in Sri Lanka,Mahadivulwewa is known for productions like the telefilm ‘Wanaspathi’, the feature film ‘Sudu Kalu Saha Alu’ (Shades of Ash), social awareness campaigns and documentaries.
“Making a film demands major funds. It was almost impossible to think of making a movie during a time when our country was steeped in an economic crisis. Though I had five completed film scripts on my hands, I was motivated to explore the possibility of reflecting my ideas to the public without facing financial issues. The answer was to make a worthy production with minimal resources like one location, and few characters and address a minimal range of topics. Though only a few elements have been used to put the project together at a low cost, the story is rich with ideas and concepts,” he said adding that he sees the birth of the film as a silver lining in a period which he had to undergo some difficulties.
This movie which runs for 90 minutes was filmed in five days. Mahadivulwewa notes that it was the most challenging task he had to face in filming ‘My Red Comrade’.
Working on the set of the film
A veteran in the film scene, Mahadivulwewa is armed with the know-how in cinema. He employed advanced theories like Blake Snyder’s 15 Beats story structure into the production after much thought. Giving a rich output within a restricted budget and using limited tools was another barrier he had to overcome. However, after many efforts and tireless work, he is elated with the end product.
“I truly believe that the concept of the film is a genuine reflection of our lives. This idea drove me to pen a narrative which is related to the contemporary social-economic and political context. This is the reason why I chose to pen this script,” Mahadivulwewa said adding that ‘My Red Comrade’ is fuelled by the search for a ‘cultured man’. The storyline denotes that such a being is necessary to rebuild a better society for the future generation as well as the existence of the nation.
“This is the first time that this topic has been addressed in a local film. My expertise as a director and knowledge as a film teacher was put into practice in making this production. I believe that it will be a groundbreaker in the Sri Lankan film industry,” he enthused.
Talking about the questions which are raised in the project Mahadivulwewa notes that the film explores the Anti-terrorism Act through two people who are poles apart from each other. One is a man and the other is a woman. Both belong to two different generations but both are answerable to the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Though they meet unexpectedly on a stormy night, they unite and work towards a common goal.
Fernando’s first ever acting experience
‘My Red Comrade’ features only two characters played by Tarindi Fernando and Asiri Allage. Both are relatively new to acting in a cinematic production. Fernando was a banker before she became an actress. She had zero training as an actress when she embarked on the project but within a short span, she developed her skills and went on to win awards. Today she has achieved fame for acting in teledramas like ‘Kodi Gaha Yata’.
“This is my first experience acting in a lead role in a feature film. It was especially challenging for me to act on this project because the storyline deals with a serious matter. I was not accustomed to such topics in my previous works.
My character flows through a major part of the story and has many dialogues to recite. One of the biggest barriers I had to overcome was voicing extensive monologues for single, long takes. I am thankful for the training I received from Prasanna Mahagamage before this process so that I was prepared to take on this intense role. This helped me to reveal each layer of my character effortlessly,” Fernando said.
Asiri Allage’s views
Allage has been in the creative industry for some time, functioning as a professional creative copywriter in Sinhala medium and specialising in advertising. He has also built a career as a painter, sculptor and stand-up comedian.
“His outlook captivated me and once I spoke to him, I realised that he embodies immense acting skills. Mahagamage and I worked hard with Allage, conducting workshops and training sessions to bring out his acting talents. He worked closely with Fernando and built a dynamic bond with her to bring a commendable output in the production,” Mahadivulwewa said.
“A lot of hard work, dedication and effort was spent to bring this character to life to suit the director’s vision. I am grateful to launch my acting career under the guidance of such experts who armed me with exceptional acting techniques and gave valuable feedback,” Allage noted crediting the success of his role to his trainers.
Ruwan Costa was the director of photography while Ajith Ramanayake was the editor of the project. Dharshi Gamage was the line producer, Manjula Ayagama the production designer and Sashika Marasinghe the sound designer for ‘My Red Comrade’. The music was directed by Nadeeka Guruge.
For Mahadivulwewa ‘My Red Comrade’ is more than just a film. It is a project born and created out of his love and devotion to cinema.
“My take on cinema is that it is a majestic art form which glorifies human life. What we take away from cinema should not be imprisoned in the realm of simple pleasures. This ideology is embedded in my work and I hope the viewers will see eye-to-eye with me regarding this concept and take away at least that much from this story,” he said.
He is in talks to do two other productions but says he will fully focus on them after settling matters with ‘My Red Comrade’.
A scene from ‘My Red Comrade’
